Monday, February 12, 2018

Illustrated News summary of the week that should never have been

Trump loves a good charade

What a week. The Nunes memo, Wall Street’s Trump Slump, Trump wages war against the FBI, Trump wages war against Mueller’s investigation, Rachel Brand quits, Portman is lack eye for WH, Portman is black eye for ex-wife, and now Trump wants a bigger, more beautiful military charade parade - a tribute to Trump the Triumphant. Now you don’t have to view the Mournday Mourning Illustrated News.

… Trump is planning a military parade down Pennsylvania Avenue. Pundits believe that’s all about Trump’s ego. But what if it’s worse? What if it’s a show of brute force intended to squelch any sign of an uprising over Trump’s abuse of power to shield himself from investigation and prosecution?

Meanwhile, the Koch network is funding a massive campaign to block Democrats from making gains in November. The combination of those efforts with actions by Republican state legislators and election officials to undermine voting rights easily could succeed.

Could that incite an uprising? Perhaps, but opposed to that uprising would be the “Blue Lives” that Trump believes matter more than Black Lives, and the alt right crowd. Yes, the alt right is still much in the minority… of people. But not of guns owned.

Lastly, consider the possibility, I’d say the likelihood, that Trump starts a war, with nationalist frenzy that undoubtedly will go with it. Could dissidents be rounded up? If the war is against a Muslim nation, will law enforcement protect American Muslims from angry, right-wing mobs?

Now check out Lord’s review of the developments that led to this gloomy prediction. For example:

… consider where the investigation of Trump and his associates stands today, brought into sharp focus by the resignation of one Rachel Brand, who otherwise would have been next in line to Rod Rosenstein at the Justice Department with authority over Bob Mueller. Rosenstein, according to many reports, was the target of the Nunes memo. By all appearances, Trump is angling to fire Rosenstein or force him to resign.